Europe to Sign Plant Divertsity Treaty
BRUSSELS - May 28/02 - SNS -- The European Union will sign a new international treaty aimed at preserving the planet's plant genetic resources so they can be used by future plant breeders for the good of inhabitants of the planet.
The treaty aims to protect the world's most important agricultural plant species in order to safeguard global food security. It provides for free access to plant genetic resources for research and breeding. Recipients marketing products arising from that access will have to pay back into the system an equitable share of the monetary and other benefits.
"We must preserve and improve the diversity and quality of the food on offer in the DU," said David Byrne, Commissioner responsible for Health and Consumer Protection. Research and breeding for the improvement and diversification of food production requires access to a wide range of agricultural biodiversity, particularly as fruit and vegetables are concerned.
In this respect the International treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture guarantees access to a wide range of natural resources. An example is the "Brassica" complex, which comprises vegetable crops such as cabbage, rapeseed, mustard, cress, rocket, radish, and turnip, important components of the European cuisine.
He said it was important for the European Union to become party to the treaty. An early joint action for simultaneous signature by the European Union and its Member States will give a political signal to other nations to join.
On 3 November 2001 the Conference of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) approved the treaty in Rome. The International treaty will be set up in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It is a major breakthrough because of its legally binding nature and the combination of free access to agricultural plant species with the sharing of commercial benefits of such access.
Owing to the clash of different interests and opinions, the negotiations have been a long and painstaking process. The European Union, represented by the European Commission, and its Member States have contributed to these negotiations. The DU has negotiated constructively in the FAO bodies and has launched various actions to keep and accelerate the progress of the negotiations, through official and informal contacts to all parties involved in the dialogue.
The sharing of commercial and other benefits through the use of genetic resources deriving from developing countries has been a controversial issue in the North-South dialogue. Therefore, the provisions regarding benefit sharing are an essential element of the treaty and their successful implementation will be the key to the success of the treaty. The European Union will continue its constructive contribution in the negotiations in the Interim Committee for the International treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
The initial suggestion of the European Union was to cover all agricultural crops by a multilateral system under the treaty. However, the current limited list of crops excludes many important species. The European Union will continue its efforts to take in additional crops.
The text of the Commission's proposal on the signature (COM(2002) 197 final), and the text of the treaty are available on the Internet at:
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/reg/en_register_151040.html
Only active subscribers can read all of this article.
If you are a subscriber, please log into the website.
If you are not a subscriber, click here to subscribe to this edition of the STAT website and to learn more about becoming a subscriber.
